Hoffenheim’s worst-ever start continues

Photo: EPA

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim’s worst start to a Bundesliga season continued on Sunday with a 2-1 loss at home to Bayer 04 Leverkusen, increasing the pressure on coach Markus Babbel.

“I know what I’m doing, the manner of my work. We’re going to keep working on it,” Babbel said. “The quality is there, but it’s another thing to produce it on the pitch.”

The visitors took the lead in the 15th minute, when Hoffenheim’s defenders failed to clear the ball. Three Leverkusen players headed the ball on, before Lars Bender finally poked it past Koen Casteels.

It became 2-0 in the 38th minute when Daniel Carvajal cut past a Hoffenheim defender, played a one-two with Andre Schuerrle, rounded the goalkeeper and scored his first Leverkusen goal from a tight angle.

“Perhaps we were too confident when it was 2-0. In the end we were lucky to win,” Bender said.

Hoffenheim improved drastically after the break and deservedly pulled one back in the 59th minute when Fabian Johnson’s shot took a deflection past Bernd Leno.

Schuerrle then struck the crossbar with a free-kick in the 66th minute, before another from Gonzalo Castro landed on the roof of Casteels’ net.

Halftime substitute Sven Schipplock should have equalized in the 74th minute when he fired over with only the goalkeeper to beat after Roberto Firmino set him up.

“The team never gave up, never let their heads drop. The chances were there. Unfortunately, we couldn’t use them,” Babbel said.

Hoffenheim occupy the relegation playoff place after their seventh loss in 13 games, while Leverkusen consolidated their fifth position.

Also on Sunday, Augsburg squandered the lead against Borussia Moenchengladbach in a 1-1 draw that left them bottom.

Sascha Moelders opened the scoring with a header over Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the fifth minute and he ended the first half by striking the post.

“If that had gone in, it would have decided the game,” Augsburg general manager Juergen Rollmann said. “If, if, if. If the cat were a dog, then it would have to bark.”

The home side were provisionally off the bottom, but Patrick Herrmann equalized with five minutes remaining, seconds after Augsburg coach Markus Weinzierl took the unusual step of bringing on a forward for a defender.